Field of Invention.
This invention relates to the disinfection or sterilization of the toilet seat and proximal areas of the toilet seat by means of germicidal ultraviolet radiation, and its by-product ozone, which are produced by a tubular lamp mounted in the rear of the toilet seat lid parallel with the axis of rotation of the toilet seat and lid.
A search of U.S. Patents reveals a variety of self-disinfecting toilet seat concepts. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,105 to Womak, a solution is sprayed inside the toilet. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,316 to Hunninghaus, fluids are passed over the toilet seat. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,193,144 and 3,801,999 to McNally, a liquid material is conveyed through a seat permeable to the liquid. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,018 to Haberie, an apparatus equipped with brushes sanitizes the surface of a toilet seat.
Disinfection by ultraviolet light has been applied to toilet seats. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,253,736 to R. L. Sullivan, 2,281,265 to H. S. Campbell, 2,440,231 and 2,440,232 to L. H. Davidson, 2,525,492 to H. B. Leidy, 2,536,095 to K. Beyrodt, and 2,592,167 to J. Managhan all use ultraviolet light by means of a lamp within a housing or cabinet that accepts a toilet seat and acts as a shield of the ultraviolet light. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,460,543 to E. Spierer a circular shaped lamp is placed in a cut-out around the underneath of a toilet seat. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,458,019 to Niles a germicidal lamp is housed within a box-like structure shaped into the form of a toilet seat. In these last two inventions lies a major problem that no moulding material is available, even today, that permits the transmission of germicidal ultraviolet light or is structurally able to support the intended loads.
Toilet seat lifting, biasing and dampening mechanisms are shown in the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,911 to D. T. Enlow a coil spring is used to bias a toilet seat. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,743 to A. B. Seabrooke a toilet seat is elevated by a foot pedal, cable and crank. In both self-disinfecting and non-disinfecting toilet seat designs there are a variety of lifting mechanisms.
In summary, I can find no prior art that has the concept, features or design of my germicidal toilet seat. By housing the germicidal lamp in the rear of the toilet seat along the axis of rotation the problems of inertial force are virtually eliminated. Also, the compact modular unit and fully concealed electrical conduit makes the unit tamper-proof and easily serviced. By design, the toilet seat and lid are hardly recognizable as being self-disinfecting. The narrow angle of light generation and small angle of incidence are overcome by the mechanism of reflection in relation to the light scatter. A 6-Watt germicidal lamp, as depicted in the preferred embodiment, will generate over the surfaces about 100 microwatt-seconds per sq.cm of 253.7 nm germicidal light. This dose will kill 99% of subject pathogenic micro-organisms including Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), E. coli, Shigella flexneri, Staph. aureas, Strep. pyogenes and many others in less than one minute; as little as 6 seconds for some HSV strains that normally take many hours to die without germicidal application. Although the toilet seat and lid weigh comparable to non-germicidal designs two motion dampening mechanisms, one being a pair of detachable flat springs and the other a biased force wire communicating through an attachment shank, provide the toilet seat and lid a smooth motion even though the germicidal lamp and apparatus are virtually indestructable under the most violent possible use. This timely invention is truly intended and designed for the environment of its application. It is highly effective in destroying pathogenic micro-organisms, is completely safe to use, aesthetic, and is highly efficient (costs about 25.cent. a month).